Willow Grove Park Dam Demolished- Lisbon

Demolition of theWillow Grove Park dam in Lisbon has begun, with an excavator from River-
Reach Construction of Barberton making quick work of the structure. The $150,000 cost of the
project is coming from Rutgers Organics Corp. as part of the final settlement for contamination
to the Middle Fork of the Little Beaver Creek from the company’s old chemical plant located
upstream near Salem. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency supports removal of the dam
because it will improve stream habitat by restoring the natural flow of the creek.While the dam
removal is expected to be finished soon, the restoration of the stream and adjacent area is
expected to take longer. As part of the settlement, Rutgers is to donate $10,000 to Lisbon to go
toward efforts to replace the wooden bridge swept away during the 2004 flash flood. Morning Journal/Patti Schaeffer